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Books

The following books may be of interest to members of the Helping Hands Foundation.

Please note some of these books have links to Amazon. If you purchase books by following the Amazon links, a small percentage of the purchase price will be refunded to Helping Hands Foundation. All of the money earned through this affiliation will go directly into our general funds. Thank you!

"Danny Crates’ story is about so much more than just another sportsman achieving his dreams.

Telling how a young, carefree Essex boy comes back from losing his right arm to become a Paralympic gold medallist, the book covers all the highs and lows of Danny’s life.

From the agony of the car crash on the other side of the world that cost him his arm at the age of 21, through a period of introspection as he came to terms with his disability, the achievement of becoming the world’s only one-armed scuba diving instructor, the glory of an athletics career spanning three Paralympic games, and his role as an ambassador for the London 2012 bid.

"My name is Kevin Michael Connolly and I was born in Helena, Montana on August 18th, 1985. I was also born without legs.

All my life I′ve been an object of curiosity, the subject of a stare. But, while I have shouldered the stares and stories of others, the story of how I′ve managed to travel the world is uniquely my own. DOUBLE TAKE is my story, and it begins in many ways the day I was placed on prosthetic stilts at the age of eight.

In an attempt to capture the moments of intense curiosity I experience on a daily basis, I traveled to 17 countries and took over 32,728 photographs of people staring at me.

In Zurich, I raced down the Limmat River against a group of twenty Vikings. In Bosnia, I scrambled to collect my groceries after being side swiped by a car. In Malaysia, I got caught in torrential rainstorms and had to skate and paddle with one hand, while keeping my camera above the rising tide with the other."

by David McKee;
Elmer the elephant is bright-colored patchwork all over. No wonder the other elephants laugh at him! If he were ordinary elephant color, the others might stop laughing. That would make Elmer feel better, wouldn't it? The surprising conclusion of David McKee's comical fable is a celebration of individuality and the power of laughter.

Elmer the elephant, a colorful character because of his patchwork hide and sense of humor, tries to blend in with the herd, but soon realizes that he's happiest just being himself. "McKee's gentle humor and love of irony are in full force in this celebration of individuality and laughter." -- Publisher's Weekly.

When Katie Kolberg met and married Todd Memmel, the two were young and unsure of what life might hand them; but they felt ready to find out together. While preparing for the birth of their first child, Todd and Katie had no idea that their son would be born missing part of his left arm. They both wondered how his life might unfold, but Katie had so many questions: Would her baby boy ever play sports or participate in music? Have friends? Fall in love? This is a mother's story of raising her child, born with a limb difference. From his birth to college graduation, Katie openly shares her fears and faith, how their family met challenges head-on, numerous and awesome accomplishments; but mostly, the simple joy of raising her son, Tony Memmel.

By Judith Caseley. Born without a lower left arm, Harry is a lively, confident, and lovable child. His red-headed friend Oscar is not so self-assured and is easily embarrassed by taunts of carrothead. Harry stands up to Willy, Oscar's tormentor, and soon the three are best friends. Bright, attractive watercolors. Reading level: Ages 4-8

On an overcast September day in 1993, Jim Abbott took the mound at Yankee Stadium and threw one of the most dramatic no-hitters in major-league history. The game was the crowning achievement in an unlikely success story, unseen in the annals of professional sports. In Imperfect, the one-time big league ace retraces his remarkable journey.

Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott as a boy dreamed of being a great athlete.

Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who saw in his condition not a disability but an extraordinary opportunity, Jim became a two-sport standout in high school, then an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan.

But his journey was only beginning.

As a nineteen-year-old, Jim beat the vaunted Cuban National Team. By twenty-one, he’d won the gold medal game at the 1988 Olympics and—without spending a day in the minor leagues—cracked the starting rotation of the California Angels. In 1991, he would finish third in the voting for the Cy Young Award. Two years later, he would don Yankee pinstripes and deliver a one-of-a-kind no-hitter.

It wouldn’t always be so good. After a season full of difficult losses—some of them by football scores—Jim was released, cut off from the game he loved. Unable to say good-bye so soon, Jim tried to come back, pushing himself to the limit—and through one of the loneliest experiences an athlete can have.

But always, even then, there were children and their parents waiting for him outside the clubhouse doors, many of them with disabilities like his, seeking consolation and advice. These obligations became Jim’s greatest honor.

In this honest and insightful memoir, Jim Abbott reveals the insecurities of a life spent as the different one, how he habitually hid his disability in his right front pocket, and why he chose an occupation in which the uniform provided no front pockets. With a riveting pitch-by-pitch account of his no-hitter providing the ideal frame for his story, this unique athlete offers readers an extraordinary and unforgettable memoir. (Book Description from www.Amazon.com)

By Beverly Swerdlow Brown (Health Publishers; ISBN 0929173260) Oliver Octopus has only five arms, but a positive attitude which leads to a successful resolution to his lack of job problem in the book. Reading Level: Ages 4 -8.Order this Book through Amazon.com!

These inspiring stories are just three of the many bionic animals Nancy Furstinger profiles in Unstoppable—all of whom make their way around with the help of prosthetics, braces, orthotics, and wheelchairs. While reading these stories of perseverance and hope, readers will meet the caretakers, prosthetists, vets, and loving families who help to make the recovery of these remarkable animals possible. Furstinger offers a glimpse into the exciting technologies, such as 3D printing and brain-controlled prosthetics, that are helping to improve the lives of animals and humans alike.

As Nancy writes, “These uplifting stories show that physically challenged animals can adapt to almost any circumstance. They celebrate what it means to be considered ‘different,’ and demonstrate that there’s no such thing as normal.”